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News

Cyclones win 'dominant mascot' title

The Cyclones have won the "most
dominant college mascot" tourney sponsored by CBS SportsLine.com. In the final contest, the Cyclones bested the Arkansas Razorbacks by pulling 53 percent of the online vote. An active Cyclone Facebook group spurred Cyclone voters.

Iowa State's Aluru named Computerworld Laureate for corn genome work

The Computerworld Honors Program is honoring Srinivas Aluru,
Stanley Chair in Interdisciplinary Engineering and a professor of electrical
and computer engineering at Iowa State University, as a Laureate for
developing software technology that's helping researchers assemble and
analyze the corn genome.

ISU economist Wallace Huffman just completed a research paper on the changing
structure of U.S. household production over the post-World War II period. In
it, he considered such issues as the amount of work done in the labor market
and at home, separation of labor among married couples, and mens and womens
leisure time and its impact on productivity.

ISU student brightens up New York City, wins international
lighting award

Iowa State University student Jorge Encarnacion was awarded
the Beyond Illumination Scholarship at the International Association of
Lighting Designers (IALD) annual trade show and conference, LIGHTFAIR
2007, held in New York City this month.

Iowa State dedicates $4.7 million lab that probes down to individual
atoms

Iowa State University will dedicate the new Keck Laboratory for High
Throughput Atom-Scale Analysis at 2 p.m. Wednesday, May 30, with a ceremony
in the Alliant Energy-Lee Liu Auditorium in Howe Hall. The program will be
followed by a reception and tours of the lab in Room 3022 of Sweeney Hall.
The lab features one of four atom probe microscopes at U.S. universities.

Culver signs Power Fund bill at Iowa State

Iowa Gov. Chet Culver visited the ISU Food Sciences Building May 23 to sign the Iowa Power Fund Policy bill into law. Power fund monies will be used for investments in research and development in the new energy economy. Culver pointed out that Iowa State and the other regents institutions will play an important role the development of biofuels and other energy alternatives.

ISU school superintendent program gets unconditional approval from
state board

ISU's school superintendent preparation program was the only
one in the state to receive unconditional approval for a period of four
years from the Iowa State Board of Education earlier this
month.

Reiman Gardens exhibit at U.S. Botanic Garden

Iowa State's Reiman Gardens is one of 20 public gardens participating in an exhibit called "Celebrating America's Public Gardens" at the U.S. Botanic Garden in Washington D.C. this summer. The exhibit runs May 26 through Oct. 8 and celebrates the importance and diversity of public gardens across the country. Reiman Gardens will be represented alongside public gardens from several states including California, Florida and Hawaii. The United State Botanical Garden and the American Public Gardens Association is sponsoring the exhibit.

Iowa State formula race car cracks top 20 for third year in a row

Iowa State University's Formula SAE Team is becoming a fixture
in the top-20 of an international competition that has students designing,
building and racing mini Formula 1-style race cars. Over the past three
years, Iowa State's team has finished 18th, seventh and now 18th.

Iowa State conference to help Iowa small businesses win federal
innovation funds

The first Iowa State University conference to help Iowa
businesses win federal innovation and technology transfer dollars will be 8
a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, June 5, in the Scheman Building at the Iowa State
Center.

Iowa State scientists demonstrate first use of nanotechnology to
enter plant cells

A team of Iowa State scientists is the first to
successfully use nanotechnology to penetrate plant cells, simultaneously
delivering a gene and a chemical to activate it. The breakthrough
creates a powerful new tool that could transform plant biotechnology.

Birrell named to new professorship

Stuart Birrell, associate professor in Iowa State University's
agricultural and biosystems engineering department, has been named to
fill a new professorship created by the founders and owners of KINZE
Manufacturing Inc. in Williamsburg.

Amrit Tiwana, an associate professor of logistics operations
and management information systems at ISU, has led research of more than 100
major technology companies on managers' behavior during high-tech failing projects. One of the studies earned the Best Article Award for 2006 by the
editorial team of Decision Sciences.

Facts regarding status of tenure case at Iowa State

Guillermo Gonzalez, assistant professor of physics and astronomy at Iowa State, is appealing the university's April decision to not grant him tenure and promotion. The appeal of the final tenure decision is now with ISU President Gregory Geoffroy, who will evaluate the case and provide a final decision by June 6, 2007. Tenure is a complex process. It is among the most important decisions a university makes and is never taken lightly. Outside of academia, however, there is little shared understanding of tenure, its rigor and significance. For that reason, and because Gonzalez's appeal has generated a number of questions, the FAQ below may be helpful in understanding the tenure process at Iowa State.

ISU veterinary researchers cure sudden onset blindness in two
dogs

In the past six weeks, two dogs have been successfully treated for a
previously incurable disease--sudden acquired retinal degeneration
syndrome (SARDS) by a research team led by Dr. Sinisa Grozdanic in the
College of Veterinary Medicine.

Sesquicentennial fun

In the news

New York City ban feeds demand for trans fat free oils

New England Journal of Medicine

As bakers, cooks and chefs face the New York City ban on trans fats,
they're trying out substitute oils in recipes. They're part of a
nationwide rush to remove trans fats from foods that has boosted demand
for new oils, like the low-linolenic soybean oil developed at Iowa
State, says plant breeder Walter Fehr, distinguished professor of
agronomy.

Bit parts on TV drill Home Depot brand into shows

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Brand messages from top retailers like Home Depot are being written into
your favorite TV scripts. Jay Newell, assistant professor of journalism
in ISU's Greenlee School of Journalism and an expert on product
placement, says it's a smart marketing tactic...and the viewing public
has yet to protest.

The brown and black stalks of switch grass, miscanthus and kenaf are not much to look at, having weathered Iowa's
winter snows. But Iowa State researchers see these crops as seeds of change
in alternative fuels.